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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22360615">He Thinks in Shadow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliaBoon/pseuds/JuliaBoon'>JuliaBoon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 09:54:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,175</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22360615</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliaBoon/pseuds/JuliaBoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Are we born evil or do we become it? Annabelle will ask this question within these pages as she begins to know and love the man people dare not to even speak his name.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>He Thinks in Shadow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Work in Progress. Early upload so I can work on it on multiple computers. Sorry!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Black. Wet. Wet and cold and black. I opened my eyes. I laid sprawled out on the dewed grass, naked. I couldn’t remember how I had gotten here. Where was I? What had happened? I tried to stand but my legs were unresponsive so instead I pulled myself into a sitting position. I sat there for awhile, teasing out my legs and as I did I tried to piece my scattered brain back together<br/>
The most pertinent question, besides how I had found myself here naked upon the grass amongst the trees, was my name. What was it? Somehow I didn’t know. I looked down at my hands, smooth and uncalloused, I was young but how old? Eventually the feeling returned to my legs and I struggled to my feet. Starting off into any direction at all that seemed like it was not taking me deeper into the woods. Eventually, somehow, I found my way to the end of the forest; as I had walked it had seemed like I somehow knew the lay of the land; it was strange, I think I once knew this place well<br/>
At the edge of the woods was a small stone cabin with a chimney but no smoke escaped from it stack. I looked down at my indecent appearance but knew I could not do anything about it. I knocked on the wooden door of the cabin but found no reply. I tested the door and found it unlocked so I tentatively opened it and walked inside. The cabin was small but cosy, although strangely every item was slightly over-sized as if some very large man called it home. Finding a coat to hide my “shame” I took a piece of bread and continued on my way. In the distance I had spotted a large stone structure that could have been a castle and I was interested to know if anyone resided within<br/>
Through an archway and following a stone hallway I found myself in what I had assumed correctly, a castle. It’s grand size was impressive but familiar, although there was a distance here. It felt as if I was a grown man returning to his childhood home; the years changing me but not it, creating a divide, this had once been my home but now it was not which separated me from it. It was just a feeling though with no evidence to prove a thing. I continued to walk for awhile but the halls were empty. The only sounds were the pattering of my bare feet upon the brickwork. At least until I heard it<br/>
In the distance I heard crying; a soft and echoey sound that virberated though the walls of the castle. It was melancholy, it gave me a familiar feeling, but not. It wasn’t the same as the way the walls of this castle filled me with waves of familiarity, it wasn’t as if I had heard this exact sound only that I had sound something similar recently. Where had I heard the sound of tears before like this? It confused me to no end but it was the sound of life, I rationalized therefore I decided I had to investigate. I walked towards the sound, following through corridors until I came upon a bathroom marked ladies. I felt a weird feeling I did not belong. Of course I did not belong. All I knew of myself was that I was young and I was male. Men did not belong in the ladies room. This brought to mind an even trickier conundrum. How did I know that men did not belong in the ladies room if I had no memory, how did I know what a man was for that matter. I could I know what a castle is but not my own name<br/>
I peeked into the bathroom and could not see anything, I perked further and further inside until finally I heard a sound<br/>
"Who's there?" I heard, from deeper inside the bathroom<br/>
I had been seen and despite the shame I felt at having been caught peeking into the women's bathroom, there was a sense of relief there too; I was no longer truly alone in this castle and that was comforting<br/>
I walked into the bathroom tentatively and found a girl; young maybe as young as me, I could not tell how old I was myself but as a walked in a caught a vision of myself in one of the bathroom mirrors. Stopping, I realized that maybe we were the same age, fourteen, fifteen maybe, could be sixteen. I had a feeling I was terrible at guessing ages. I looked at the girl with her big curly locks of hair, brown, like silt and her skin pale like porcelain. She looked at me with blood shot eyes of copper, her face red and puffy from her tears but her expression was a mixture of anger and sadness, I guess she was not happy with me intruding on her in this her moment of privacy<br/>
"What are you doing here?!" she demanded<br/>
I decided that truth was probably the correct choice and so I told her that I was lost, that I did not know where I was or what had happened and I needed someone's help. She looked at me strangely, saying "What are you wearing?"<br/>
I looked down at the large overpowering cloak I was wearing which I had borrowed without asking form the cabin near the woods. I did indeed look odd and I was not surprised she thought so too<br/>
"I woke up nude and could find only this to cover myself."<br/>
The look now she gave me was of humor and pity, it clashed with her still dark red tinged eyes<br/>
"I guess we best get you cleaned and dressed before I find someone to help you."<br/>
She escorted me through the winding halls of the castle until we reached a seemingly dead end, in front of us was a large door without a doorknob or keyhole. The only thing on the door was a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. It spoke to her, asking of her a riddle. She leaned over and whispered the answer into it. The door swung open and she led me through. Inside I found a circular room draped in copper and blue tones. To one side stood a white statue of a woman. Behind it was the entryway to the dormitories, once we got there she stood outside, pointing to a trunk she told me that I would find clothing inside and to put it on<br/>
Inside I found black robes and a blue tie. The cloak felt like home but the tie disturbed me slightly, it didn't feel right. When I was dressed I told her and then followed her back into the breezy common room. We sat down and she turned to face me, her copper eyes filled with curiosity. She breathed in and began to ask me.
"How are you here?"</p>
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